FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT DESCANSO GARDENS

Officials at Descanso Gardens gave Metropolitan Water District a look under the hood Friday morning, participating in a free irrigation survey designed to pinpoint spots where water efficiency upgrades could be made. The audit is a service MWD offers at no cost to larger, nonresidential entities that maintain at least one acre of irrigation within the Metropolitan Water District's 5,200-square-mile service area. Descanso has about 80 acres of cultivated, irrigated garden space. During the three-hour audit, Gregg Roesnik, a San Diego-based certified landscape irrigation auditor contracted by MWD, examined various systems throughout the garden, reading meters and taking notes on his observations.

The impact of the Station fire continues to be felt in the community, with the news that Descanso Gardens lost its main water source. David Brown, executive director, said the fire melted PCV piping that brought the water into storage tanks from nearby Hall Beckley Canyon. ?The tanks were empty, as well,? Brown said. ?We imagine the firefighters used the water.? The tanks have been a major source of water supply for the botanical gardens for more than six decades, having been established for that purpose by Descanso founder Manchester Boddy.

Ten Years Ago La Cañada High School swim teams captured 23 gold medals and a dozen silver or bronze awards at the Rio Hondo League finals, held at Pasadena City College in May 2003. Twenty Years Ago One week after a man held up a Western Federal Savings office on Foothill Boulevard at Commonwealth Avenue, a different suspect robbed the Bank of America branch here. It was reported that neither crime involved the use of a weapon. Thirty Years Ago A fully staged production of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, "The Mikado," was presented in Fellowship Hall at Church of the Lighted Window by Canada Savoy, Ltd. Cast members included local residents Gordon Ramsay, Adrian MacNab, Bill Scott, Bob Willard, John Scott, Sara Willard, Beverly MacBurney, Judy Frewing, Ann Thomas, Ann MacNab and Marianne Vorath.

Descanso Gardens sets the stage for the season with a weekend of festivities and a month of sharing nature's Gifts from the Gardens. December will begin with a holiday-themed Winter's Night for families Friday, Dec. 1, and continue the theme through the weekend. There is no place like Descanso as the busy holidays approach, and no place like Descanso for intriguing classes perfectly suited for the season. Friday, Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 3: Seasonal Festival Winter's Night for Fami lies, 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. Fri day, Dec. 1 Holiday Dinner, 6 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 Winter's Weekend, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 & Sunday, Dec. 3 Holiday Family Brunch, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 "Gifts from the Gardens" will set the tone at Descanso Gardens during the three-day 2006 Holiday Festival and the entire month.

The smallest spaces can be beautiful gardens with well-designed and creatively grouped containers. The key to creating such beauty spots is the subject of A Garden in a Pot, a class from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8, at Descanso Gardens. Participants will discover the best plants to use, how to care for them and how to arrange containers for the best look. Instructor Lillia Singer will explain how potting mixtures, proper watering and feeding help keep plants healthy. Singer, owner of Bella Garden Design, will offer tips and help participants plant a 12-inch container to take home.

The Los Angeles Rose Society will host its Fall Rose Show on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Descanso Gardens in the Van de Kamp Hall at 1418 Descanso Drive in La Cañada Flintridge. Admission to Descanso Gardens and their International Rosarium is $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and $2 for children ages 5 to 12. The Rose Show and ample parking is free with admission to Descanso Gardens. For more information about Descanso Gardens, call 949-4200.

Special wine-tasting evenings at a variety of Descanso Gardens location, will be offered on six Thursdays in June, July and August. Patina's Summer Wine Tasting Series offers a selection of fine wines and food and an opportunity to enjoy it all in places visitors rarely see in the evening. Wine lovers are encouraged to make reservations early for this popular summer evening series of unequaled service and settings. Special appearances by two of Patina's sommeliers are scheduled for this six-event series.

The first of three floral design classes at Descanso Gardens, taught by designer Ray Tucker, will be from 1 to 4 p.m. on June 26. Each class will offer a different design style, offering a fresh approach for anyone interested in taking all three. The June 26 class will demonstrate the "Simple Pleasures" of creating a gift basket with blooming flowers. The class July 10 will be a "Tropical Tease" resulting in an exotic arrangement, and the class July 17 will make a "Summer Splash" as participants create table centerpieces or arrangements for the pool.

Easter egg hunts, happy music and fabulous family brunches will make Easter Weekend bright at Descanso Gardens. The tram and train will be running and thousands of flowers are blooming in celebration of this holiday weekend and of Descanso's annual Spring Festival of Flowers. Egg Hunts Children, armed with baskets and high expectations, will join the popular Easter egg hunt on March 26, every 45 minutes, starting at 9:30 a.m. A chance to grab a basket and join the hunt is $3. Tickets will be sold that morning at 9 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

Camellia, the elegant Asian 'Empress of Winter Flowers,' reigns at Descanso Gardens throughout the winter with a forest of vividly-colored flowers. Descanso's extraordinary camellia collection, the largest in North America, thrives in 20 acres of dappled sunlight, filtered through canopies of mighty Coast Live Oaks. The collection includes thousands of tree-sized bushes planted six decades ago by founder E. Manchester Boddy, and smaller specimens planted in more recent years. Some camellias began to bloom at Descanso in late September.